(CIBO) JAMES STOCkHORST; ILLUSTRATION: MARk ATOMOS PILON 60 BCBusiness JUNE 2015
six years after nabbing Canada's
Best New Restaurant award from
EnRoute magazine, Cibo Tratto-
ria, in Vancouver's historic Moda
Hotel on Seymour at Smithe,
remains true to its rustic, Italian-
inspired roots.
Executive chef Faizal Kassam
takes the classic Italian farm-
fresh approach, preparing the
ingredients he sources from local
‹shmongers and farms (among
them, company-owned Campagna
Farm, a free-range cattle ranch in
Abbotsford) with adept simplicity.
General manager and veteran
sommelier Robert Stelmachuk's
wine list is more than a dozen
pages, and he won't steer you
wrong with his discerning selec-
tion of B.C., Italian and other
international labels—he is working
toward becoming just the fourth
Canadian to receive master
sommelier designation.
The 40-seat dining room pairs
classic and contemporary, with
1908 heritage terracotta-tiled
‚oors and exposed Douglas ‹r
beams alongside a marble ‹re-
place, whitewashed walls and a
representational-abstract portrait
by local artist Bruce Pashak.
(cibotrattoria.com)
Propaganda Coffee, which
launched in February, occupies
a bright, open space on East
Pender in Vancouver's China-
town. The openness extends to
the serving counter, thanks to
the city's first Modbar espresso
system, which conceals most of
its components under the coun-
ter. Visible above the counter:
the group head, which holds the
coffee grounds, and gleaming
taps to dispense the coffee.
"The Modbar marries
function and esthetics," says
Propaganda co-owner William
Wang. "It works just as well as
any other high-end espresso
machine, but it opens up a more
direct interaction between the
customers and the barista.
Instead of hiding behind the
machine, you get to talk to who-
ever's making your coffee–like
talking to the bartender almost."
As for the coffee, Propa-
ganda serves a rotation from
local small roasters like Elysian,
Timbertrain and Pallet. "Our con-
cept is focusing on what's local,
the small guys," says Wang,
whose business partners are
Winfield Yan and his sister, katie
Yan. Wang has worked in the
coffee scene for seven or eight
years–at Caffè Artigiano,
Coffeebar, Bel Café and Prado–
and Winfield was one of his
customers. "We're basically just
coffee lovers, really." (propaganda
coffee.ca)
–Felicity Stone
Local roasters
rule at this
Chinatown café
Cibo
Trattoria
Propaganda
Coee
BesT TABLe Be the centre of attention
seated in black Louis chairs around Cibo's six-
person circular marble table, or cozy up to the
fireplace at a two-seater with chairs covered in
Ottoman Stripe by U.k. designer Paul Smith.
MusT-TRY ORDeR kassam's pastas
are made fresh from scratch and served
famiglia-style, so everyone can dig into the
tagliatelle with olive and sausage ragu and
still leave room for salad–or dessert.
DRinK uP Indulge in a little three-ounce
pour (or standard five-ounce if you're feeling
dangerous) from Cibo's assortment of rare
wines like an Aldiano Trebbiano d'Abruzzo or
Pico Maccorio Lavignone Barbera d'Asti.
insiDeR TiP After late lunch, at
Moda's adjacent UVA Wine and Cocktail
Bar, happy hour starts at 2 p.m. with $10
craft cocktails curated by award-winning
bar manager Lauren Mote.
A fresh
approach to
Italian cuisine
in a vintage
setting with
modern décor
by Catherine
Roscoe Barr
RUSTiC MEETS REnOS
Cibo Trattoria's 40-seat dining
room is a mix of old and new
P o w e r L u n c h
R e c e n t l y L a u n c h e d
